Woman gets jail time for DUI crash that killed boyfriend

An Allentown woman will serve three to seven years in state prison for a drunken driving crash that killed her boyfriend and severely injured another friend in Salisbury Township in November.

Janelle Hoppe, 23, had pleaded guilty to homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence and two related charges and received the mandatory minimum when she was sentenced Monday by Judge William Platt.

Hoppe was driving her boyfriend, 23-year-old Christopher Barnard, and Maurice James III after the trio spent the evening celebrating Hoppe's new job. She lost control of the car on the 1400 block of Susquehanna Street and crashed into a tree and utility pole. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.22 percent, nearly three times the legal limit.

Barnard, 23, of Allentown was pronounced dead at the scene. James, 24, also of Allentown, suffered a severe head trauma and is now undergoing physical, occupation and speech therapy at a nursing home. His family said it is unclear how fully he will recover.

Hoppe's sentencing was emotional, as relatives of Barnard and James asked the judge to be merciful to her.

Hoppe struggled to maintain her composure as she read a statement. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret what happened that night," she said. "I will live with this tragedy the rest of my life."

Hoppe's sentences for the other offenses -- one to three years for aggravated assault while driving under the influence and three to six months for driving under the influence -- will be served concurrently in the state correctional facility at Muncy.

Platt commended the families for their forgiving attitudes and urged Hoppe to take part in community service activities against drunken driving after her release. The families had suggested that be part of Hoppe's sentence, but the judge said such activities are meaningless if they happen because of a judge's order rather than out of true contrition.